The Existence of Fantine
by BellatrixxNarcissa
Summary: She had never known father or mother. She was called Fantine. Why Fantine? She had never borne any other name.


The life of Fantine. I have always wondered, if anyone told the story of my existence, what they would say about me. Nothing, probably.

My life. Well, we all know where that starts.

A gamine. A little street girl who didn't know where she came from, didn't know where she goes. Wide-eyed, terrified, Everyone looked at her, but no-one cared. A passer-by gave me my name.

Fantine.

Fantine, the dainty girl. I was dainty. I had lovely, long blonde hair and two rows of perfect white teeth. Those two things, my hair and my teeth, they were the only things that kept be going, really. My daily comfort was when I passed shops with polished glass windows and looked in. Not at things they were selling, but at my reflection. Even as a young girl, I knew that I was beautiful.

And thus, the old lady who lived above the bread shop, where I would go and pay ten sous for a basket of leftover scraps saw my beauty and one day, when I went to get my basket, she presented me with a dress, made of the finest sea green silk with a long skirt and bodice. From then on, I was no longer the street urchin that all of Paris believed me to be. I was regarded with a higher respect, I had more dignity.

Someone else saw my beauty as well.

A man. I first saw him when I was about eighteen, during a beautiful springtime. He was with three other men, leaning against the wall on the Champs-Elysees. I had just come from the market, where I had traded a box of matches for a long satin ribbon to match my dress, a great bargain! I wore my ribbon in my hair, for the whole world to see.

I saw them then. They were students, that was obvious by their fine clothes and books. They regard me as I walk past with looks of interest. Except him. He looks at me as if I am a goddess.

I remember that look. It is one of the only things I remember from that day. He follows me and asks my name. I ask his. He asks if I want to join him and his friends for a dinner. I accepted.

We spent the whole summer together. There were three other girls, Dahlia, Zéphine, and Favourite, ridiculous names, they all agreed. I was the youngest and they fussed over me, doing my hair, applying rouge to my face, they envied me as well.

I lived with him, for that summer, in a small apartment overlooking the Seine. I went to sleep at night with him holding me and woke up to the light of day entwined in his arms.

He loved me, or at least he said. After all, he shared his home and bed with me and bought me many dresses. Soon, I was adorned in rich fabrics, red, blue, pink yellow, a dress for every color of the summer!

It was utter bliss. I was in love, imagine that! Fantine, the dainty girl was in love! Nothing else seemed to matter. All of my previous trials and tribulations of living on the streets just disappeared. I was, for the first time in my life, truly happy. But it was not for long.

A dinner. We all sat around the table, all eight of us, talking and chattering. I was wearing my sea green dress, and feeling beautiful, him by my side.

Then it was said. A surprise! The men were going to give us a surprise! I laughed at this announcement and turned to kiss him. He broke away to stand with his friends they waved goodbye and off they went, calling back that it would only take an hour.

While they were gone, the girls and I chatted about it. Dahlia hoped it would be a pearl necklace, Zéphine wondered about an engagement ring, and Favourite giggled, wishing that they were going to announce that they were all to be married.

I merely prayed that he would stay with me forever. I never wanted to be a day without him. I prayed he would come back and tell me that he loved me and that he would never leave.

An hour came and went, then another, and another, until we were alone in the restaurant. We started to worry, although no one showed it. We just continued to laugh and joke. Then the waitress came with a note.

We have gone, it said. We have gone away and left you. But not to worry, this will all be a distant memory the time you leave the restaurant!

We laughed at the note. Dahlia said that they were idiots, Zéphine said that she was going to leave anyway, and Favourite talked about a friend in the north that she could go to.

They giggle and we part ways, me walking back to the apartment, feeling numb.

It couldn't be.

I get there, put the key in the lock and turn, hoping to throw the door open and find him standing there, his arms wide, waiting for me.

But when the door opens, that is not the sight I am greeted with. The apartment is empty, he has taken everything away, the chairs, the table, the large chair that we used to both sit in. I run into the bedroom, that's empty as well, except for a chair in the corner of the room, with something on it. All of my dresses, my things, gone.

As I approach the chair, I see that it's a large, bulky envelope. My hands shaking, I open it and see that it's a note.

Fantine. I have left. You were a mere child, and I have gone on to do greater things. I hope I haven't upset you too much. –A Stranger to you now.

I look back in the envelope, to investigate the lump that my fingers could feel. I reach my hand in to pull the object out.

A necklace. A long, silver chain necklace with a sea foam green pendant, to match my favorite dress.

And I fall to the floor, clutching the beautiful piece to my heart, screaming with tears.

For he had left and I was to have a child.

* * *

**A/N Okay, I know I know I know, I _know_ I was meant to be writing All That's Known but I just HAD to try this out. I don't really know where i'm going with this but we shall see! Please review! xx**


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